The present invention generally relates to a system and a method for heating vehicle fluids and more particularly, to a system and a method for heating vehicle fluids which utilizes one or more heat exchangers and bypass control valves to relatively quickly heat vehicle fluids such as oils, lubricants and other fluids used within various vehicle subsystems such as the transmission, steering system, transfer case, and engine.
In order to cool an engine, a vehicle typically circulates a liquid coolant such as water through the engine and through a heat exchanger (e.g., a radiator) which allows the coolant or water to be desirably cooled. Once the water is heated, it can be used to heat the vehicle passenger compartment. Particularly, the heated water is selectively channeled through a heater core, while air is forced through the heater and communicated to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, thereby desirably increasing the temperature of the passenger compartment.
While these vehicle heating and cooling systems provide for a relatively efficient use of engine-generated heat, they suffer from some drawbacks. For example, the heated water is primarily used only to heat the passenger compartment. That is, these vehicle heating and cooling systems do not communicate heated water to other portions or systems of the vehicle which could benefit from the engine-generated heat. Thus, the fluids contained and/or used within these other systems undesirably remain in a cold and/or viscous state for an undesirably long period of time, thereby limiting the performance of these systems.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved system and method for heating vehicle fluids which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior systems.
A first advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method for heating vehicle fluids which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior heating systems and methods.
A second advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method for heating vehicle fluids which utilizes one or more fluid-to-fluid (e.g., oil-to-water) heat exchangers to efficiently and rapidly heat various vehicle fluids, such as transmission fluid, steering fluid, engine fluids, and other vehicle fluids and lubricants, thereby improving vehicle fuel economy.
A third advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method for heating vehicle fluids which utilizes an electronically controlled solenoid valve and an oil-to-water heat exchanger to relatively rapidly heat the vehicle""s transmission oil, thereby improving vehicle fuel economy.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for heating and cooling fluids within a vehicle of the type including an engine and a transmission. The system includes an oil-to-water heat exchanger which is fluidly coupled to the engine and which receives heated water from the engine; and a valve which is fluidly coupled to the oil-to-water heat exchanger and to the transmission, the valve being effective to selectively channel transmission oil through the oil-to-water heat exchanger based on at least one parameter, thereby selectively heating the transmission oil.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for heating and cooling fluids within a vehicle of the type including an engine having a cooling fluid. The system includes at least one fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger which is fluidly coupled to at least one vehicle system and which receives fluid from the at least one vehicle system; and a valve which is fluidly coupled to the at least one fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger and to the engine, the valve being effective to selectively channel heated coolant from the engine through the at least one fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger based on at least one parameter, thereby selectively heating the received fluid from the at least one vehicle system.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for heating fluids within a vehicle of the type including an engine having an amount of coolant. The method includes the steps of providing a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger; passing coolant heated by said engine through the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger; and selectively passing fluid from a vehicle system through the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, effective to cause fluid to be heated by the heated coolant.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.